Oft-injured Mike Hampton finalized a one-year, $2 million deal with the Houston Astros, hoping to resurrect his career in the place where he became a prominent big league pitcher. The contract includes $2 million in performance bonuses.
Hampton spent six seasons with the Astros, ending in 1999 when he won a career-high 22 games and was an All-Star. He was traded to the Mets and won 15 games in 2000 before signing a $121 million, eight-year contract with Colorado. The big deal proved to be one on the worst free-agent signings ever, with Hampton going 56-52 with a 4.81 in just 147 starts for the Rockies and Atlanta, who acquired him after the 2002 season.
Hampton sat out the 2006 season after elbow ligament surgery and did not pitch in 2007 because of an oblique injury and an elbow problem that required a season-ending operation. Hampton went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 starts for the Braves this year. At the end of the season, he expressed interest in returning the Astros.
Hampton would earn an addition $100,000 for 12 starts and each addition two starts through 30. He also would get $100,000 for pitching 100 innings and each addition 10 innings through 190.
Hampton is 141-105 with a 4.01 ERA. He began his major league career in Seattle in 1993, going 1-3 before being traded to Houston.
A day earlier, Houston agreed to re-sign reliever Doug Brocail for a 2.75 million, one-year deal.